People love to "shoot the messenger" and I know that discussing a different point of view and asking tough questions will cause alot of hatred for me. That's the reason behind the title of my blog.
"When I tell any truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do." ~William Blake

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Mr. Petersen has posted another article addressing the show on his website A Minor Consideration .Oh, They're So CuteKids and Animals on TV

Congratulations, America. This past week saw 31 new little stars drop into our living rooms with the premieres of "Kids by the Dozen" and "17 Kids and Counting" on The Learning Channel. You can hear the ooohs and aaahs in Timbuktu. The scramble is on to learn each of the children's names, their likes and dislikes, and where they fit in the family's pecking order. Add to this childhood menagerie the on-going exploits of the Gosselin Family from "Jon & Kate +8" as revealed in People Magazine's four-page spread of that family's trip to Maui, Hawaii, and you'd think television has turned into amateur home movies.

Only these shows aren't really home movies, are they? Of course they're not. They are professionally photographed and edited productions that employ scores of adults that you never see on-camera. The Parents who have permitted the cameras to chronicle their various families are being compensated, some quite handsomely, and some less so. If you chanced to watch the excruciating "Jon & Kate" episode that showed the family engaged in an endless photo shoot for Good Housekeeping magazine's cover (coming soon) you might have noticed that all this so-called "fun" looks a lot like work.

We all have a soft spot for kids and animals. It's a biological imperative. We are biologically compelled to notice and care for children, to protect and husband animals. They are means by which we got from there to here.

One thing you can say about all these media darlings is that most appear to be remarkably normal given their unusual circumstances…so far. Today's kids see the media in a different light than we adults because they are immersed in its impact from birth, with or without cameras present. The question is, other than their numbers and the fact that they were born into large families, what part of being "normal" can prepare or protect a child from the effects of celebrity?

The American Humane Association, which came into existence back in the 1870's to advocate for children, but is better known as the protectors of the animals we see in the media, has this to say about the welfare of animals in film production:

*Animals should be trained and prepared in advance to perform the required action.

*Costuming and/or props shall be made available to American Humane for inspection prior to filming. Animals shall be adequately conditioned and trained to wear or use all costumes or props. Costuming and/or props shall be comfortable, provide ease of movement, and shall not restrict the animal’s breathing or cause the animal to overheat.

*Tie-downs, waist ties and hobbles shall not be used on animals not properly trained to wear them.

*American Humane recognizes that unique or unforeseen situations may arise that might require on-site judgment differing from these Guidelines. American Humane Certified Animal Safety Representatives will make that judgment in the interest of the safety and welfare of the animal.

*Training and/or cueing equipment such as collars, leashes, muzzles, whips and other devices must be used safely and humanely under the supervision of American Humane Certified Animal Safety Representatives.

You can see where this is going, I hope. Producers of popular entertainment who utilize animals in their work do not cross the American Humane Association or the Certified Animal Safety Representatives that travel the world to protect animals in film. When the AHA says, "No animal was killed or injured in the making of this film" you can believe it.

In other pages on this website we have put together a Compare and Contrast chart so inquisitive people can see how the State of California's regulations concerning children in entertainment (the best this country has on the books, by the way) compare to the global Industry protections afforded those birds and beasts over whom we have dominion. It can be found here: www.minorcon.org/regulations.html.

At the risk of angering those souls who continue to believe that parents always do what's best for their children, let's see what the Industry has to say when it comes to Casting Guidelines for children utilized in the creation of popular entertainment:

Notice that space? It's there for a reason. No such guidelines exist for even considering what sort of child is eligible for participation in the entertainment industry. If such a guideline existed to determine what sort of child one might see on television or in movies, do you think it would start off with normal?

Rise of Reality TV Spurs Look into State's Child Labor Laws

A Minor Consideration

A Former Neighbor: Jon and Kate...too late?

Blog excerpt from a former neighbor, Walt Mueller:Which leads me to this. . . we need to respond. Silence is not an option. One of the great lessons of history is that those who remain silent and uninvolved when a group of people are being oppressed (in this case, 8 small children) are not helping, but hurting the situation. Those people who choose to remain silent and not intervene by speaking up, have chosen to actively participate in the oppression. It's guilt by silence. In this case, two parents and 8 little kids are laying wounded on the side of the road.

Christianity Today

The Gospel and the GosselinsJune 1, 2009As fellow Christians, we should have reminded the Gosselins that life is a gift to be received in gratitude, not something to be grasped, purchased, or sold. In many ways, the last four seasons of Jon & Kate Plus Eight is the story of a family that seemed to progressively lose sight of this truth. Read the entire article Here.

Some Interesting Articles/Comments

Some Fitting Quotes

Man has always sacrificed truth to his vanity, comfort and advantage. He lives... by make-believe. ~W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up, 1938Every truth passes through three stages before it is recognized. In the first, it is ridiculed, in the second it is opposed, in the third it is regarded as self-evident. ~Arthur Schopenhauer

Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind. ~Austin O'MalleyWith lies you may get ahead in the world - but you can never go back. ~Russian proverb

About Me

"Truth Fears No Questions"--
I am Aunt Jodi's sister, and hopefully what I have to say will open eyes and help raise awareness for the need for laws to protect children in the entertainment industry. This is a tragic example of how money and fame can blind parents, preventing them from making decisions that are best for their children. I urge you to realize that these children were not brought into the world to be used for anyone's entertainment. Just because this is all they know doesn't make it "normal". They deserve privacy and protection.